Old City: Medieval core public realm scoping study

Overview

The medieval core of the Old City is a unique and much loved area, vibrant with the popular St Nicholas Markets, and provides a key pedestrian and cycling route across the city. The environment is dominated by parked cars and clutter, however, and the poor quality of the public realm does not reflect the high quality of the historic buildings or provide opportunities to dwell and enjoy the ambience.

The report outlines the problems across the Old City and proposes a framework for improving the public realm. This will be used to attract funding to undertake works in the area.

Please send any comments to citydesigngroup@bristol.gov.uk by 16th November 2012.

Why We Are Consulting

To seek community input and support for the suggested improvements framework.

Related Documents

Results

There was general agreement with the analysis of the issues in the area and a welcoming of initiatives to improve the quality of the public realm of the Old City. The main concern from the majority of respondents however was that the approach to traffic should be more radical and all through traffic should be removed. Living Heart submitted an alternative vision that articulated how this could be done which many people supported.

In response it is considered that the priorities for the Old City should be amended (in bold below) to:

Start a decluttering programme, especially reducing the impact of trade and domestic waste, traffic and highways signage and A-boards

Build on the success of St Nicholas market and reinforce the primary pedestrian route by redesigning the space at the Broad Street/Corn St junction

Use road closures to develop a regular programme of markets/events to animate the Old City and raise the profile of the area

Explore options for removing parking from Corn Street and Clare Street and removing through traffic from Corn Street to extend the pedestrianised area to the St Nicholas Street junction